Friends and Family Test

Would you recommend Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to your family or friends?

The NHS Friends and Family Test is a nationwide initiative to gain feedback from patients about the care and treatment they receive in hospital. Patients are asked whether they would recommend NHS services to their friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment, which is believed to be an important indicator of the quality of care they have received.

At Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we use the Friends and Family Test on our inpatient wards, Accident and Emergency Department, outpatient services and day-case areas, Maternity, and Community Services. Every patient receiving treatment in these areas is now able to give feedback about the quality of care they have received.

A high proportion of patients we have surveyed to date said they were extremely likely or likely to recommend the care given or service received within our hospital to a friend or family member. We are very pleased that these patients had a good experience of care. However, we also want to know where we have not met expectations so that we can make improvements. Your feedback is our best way of knowing where we are doing well or where we could do better.

How do I leave my feedback?

We value your feedback and want to offer care that provides a positive experience for patients and their families. Our focus is improving the delivery of patient and family centred care. We will ask the simple question:

“How likely are you to recommend our ward or services to friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment?”

When you are discharged from hospital, you will be asked to answer the Friends and Family Test question via a text message, automated voice call or a feedback card which will be provided by staff. Responses are free and anonymous.

You will be invited to respond to the question by choosing one of six options, ranging from 'extremely likely' to 'extremely unlikely'.

It is important that you are given the opportunity to explain why you have given your answer, so please answer any follow-up questions.

Do I have to respond to the question?

Your answer is voluntary and completely anonymous. We are extremely grateful for your feedback as it provides valuable information to help ensure our patients have the best possible experience of care. Your answer will not be traced back to you and your details will not be passed on to anyone.

Text messages and voice calls are free. If you receive the survey and you do not wish to take part, you can simply reply ‘STOP’ when you receive the text message or hang up when you receive the call.

If you do not want to be contacted for the Friends and Family Test then please inform a member of staff and we will ensure you are not contacted.

If you feel that you should have been given the opportunity to respond but did not receive the questionnaire, please contact the patient experience team – patient.experience@mcht.nhs.uk

How will the results be used?

We will gather the results and analyse them to see where we can make improvements or explore your suggestions further. If your comments are complimentary we will, of course, pass on your praise to the staff that cared for you. Our Matrons and Ward Managers will also receive a full copy of the feedback for their specific ward, service or department to enable them to discuss and share with the rest of the team and take the appropriate action if required.

Your feedback will be combined with that of other patients to create an overall score for the particular ward, service area or department. This is the score that is published on the NHS England website every month – see link below.

Patients are invited to comment on the reason for the answer they give and alongside the rating. Comments have included :

“This is the best ward I have ever been on. The staff were all fantastic and helped me so much, especially when I was really poorly. The physio team are amazing and have worked so hard with me to get me back on my feet. I am so grateful for everyone on the ward and how hard they all work. Everyone is so lovely.”

“From my admission I was treated with care and compassion. All staff were polite and friendly. I felt safe and am very happy with the treatment I received. Thank you so much.”

“I was dealt with politely and in a reasonable time span. The nurses and doctor answered all my questions and helped me understand what they though had happened. Thank you.”

Posters are displayed in Accident and Emergency, assessment areas, on wards, and on the Maternity Unit to promote the score achieved and to highlight patient comments.

Does the Friends and Family test replace the NHS complaints procedure or other forms of feedback?

No, this will not replace our current complaints procedure or other forms of feedback. For more information on how to make a complaint see our dedicated Customer Care Team.